Do you smile when you look in the mirror?

The July 2008 Psychologies Magazine includes a supplement called “Get Body Confident”.  It includes 100 “techniques, ideas and inspirations” aimed at helping us smile when we look in the mirror.

Interestingly, the Editor – Maureen Rice - talks about our emotions (such as the way we feel about our bodies), affecting our thoughts.  This is quite different to the Martha Beck model discussed in a previous blog about our thoughts being the root cause of all behaviour.  However, Maureen explains that the chain of cause and effect works in both directions.  I.e.  Our emotions affect our thoughts, which affect our actions, which affect our emotions and so on.  A cycle that as we know, once on is hard to get off!

Based on research from the Social Issues Research Centre (www.sirc.co.uk), tip number 26 explains that women feel more dissatisfied with their bodies during the pre-menstrual phase (the 2 weeks before your period).

I feel relieved I’ve read this!

I know personally, every now and again I’ll have a week where I feel totally frumpy and clothes I thought really suited me the week before look totally wrong.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this correlated with my cycles.

Hmmm… and I thought my clothes must have somehow changed shape!!

For more research findings on what we see and how we feel when we look in the mirror take a look here… http://www.sirc.org/publik/mirror.html

A raffle and an exam. A marvelous morning.

The morning of my exam I felt physically sick.  Nerves I guess.  I was anxious about actually making it to the gym without having to dive into some random cafe for an emergency toilet stop or vomiting in the street.  Not a nice feeling!

As I walked to the gym, eyes down, focused on controlling the rising sick feeling in my belly, I walked straight into the back of a person.  Very embarrassing!  Even more so that this particular guy had a fluorescent yellow vest on!!  He was fundraising for the local Life Boats.  With bright red cheeks, I dug deep and donated £1, thinking inside that maybe, just maybe, if I do a good deed and donate to a good cause, my exam might just go my way.

As I walked off feeling a little smug with my bright idea, I heard the fundraisers laughing.  I listened in and they were having a good old fashioned laugh at my expense.  Not only had I walked into the guy, they weren’t actually looking for donations.  It was a raffle.  As I turned and looked back I realised there was a mighty big speed boat that I hadn’t even noticed.  A speed boat that I had absolutely no chance of winning!

Not a good start to my morning!

However. I am very, very excited to be able to say that despite the nerves prior to my exam, I passed with flying colours.  Absolutely fantastic news!  And you know what, I even enjoyed it!  As soon as I walked into the gym I felt really confident and for the first time in years, my Inner Critic was no where to be heard.  An amazingly free feeling.

If only I knew why and how I felt so confident.  Where was my Inner Critic and why wasn’t he trying to derail the exam?  All I know is that I was so focused on remembering all my teaching points, muscles and techniques for the exam my mind was jam packed.  Perhaps there just wasn’t room for the Inner Critic.  Although I have no doubt that my negative mate was in there yelling, he definitely wasn’t heard.

The scary thing is how fabulous I felt without the negative thoughts.  It’s like I’ve had my first taste of a very addictive drug.  I’m starting to understand just how marvelous life could be if I could take control of my thoughts and turn my negative state of mind around.

Bring it on!

Wish me luck…

It’s time.  I’ve done the work and I now have to prove I’m competent.  Tomorrow I’ve got my 80 minute practical exam to become a Level 2 Gym Instructor. 

How am I feeling you might ask?  Terrified.  Why?  Although I’ve done the hard yards and spent many hours at the gym over the last 3 months learning good technique and all about kinesiology, tomorrow is the day that I need to look and act like a gym instructor.

I look up to and envy gym instructors.  To me they are the ultimate.  Completely toned bodies and endless energy.  I know that’s a truly short sited view but how amazing does the instructor look pumping their hearts out in a high energy aerobics session?  Amazing!

I want to look like that.  I would love people to be able to see me and say “boy, she must work out!” 

I’ve decided that in order to have any chance of looking like a gym instructor I’ve got to feel like one.  My plan is to walk in there pretending to be a gym instructor.  A qualified instructor wouldn’t be the slightest bit nervous about an 80 minute PT session with 2 examiners watching over your every move.  So that’s who I’m going to be tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Dreaming of a manikin…

To a stranger I’d probably look like I was in love with window shopping.   As I stand in front of the shop window staring, longingly at the fabulously dressed manikins.  But you know, it’s not the clothes I’m dreaming of, it’s the manikin!  No, no, I don’t have some super scary fetish about plastic people.  It’s their amazingly flat tummies, super skinny thighs and incredibly smooth skin that I’m after.

They resemble the airbrushed models you see in magazines.  Perfect…

Have you ever wished you were a manikin??

This morning I found the answer to cure my silly obsession with shop windows and manikins.  As I walked past a local Next store on the way to Nursery, the window was being remodelled.  What I saw was quite shocking!  A wake up call.

The manikins were in pieces, limbs separated and bodies lying lifelessly in a heap.  The most revealing thing was that they were completely exposed and you could see all the big, gaping holes where the bolts go through their legs.  Gruesome!

It made me realise just how silly I’d been.  Manikins are plastic shapes that do not resemble real women.  Well, other than the fact that they’re built with 4 limbs, a body and a head!

Remind yourself of this next time you stare dreamily into a shop window…

Did you feel happy on Friday?

Take a look at this!  A psychologist has undertaken a study into what makes people happy and when and has developed a formula to tell us the happiest day of the year… 20th June! 

Did you feel happy on Friday??  I actually had a fabulous day on Friday.  My little toddler was in a fantastic mood and very few tears.  Perhaps it works!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2158104/Today-is-the-happiest-day-of-the-year-according-to-Cliff-Arnall%27s-maths-formula.html